MEET THE PROFESSIONAL
May 2018
Ms. Najla Elmachtoub graduated from Cornell University with a BS in Computer Science and a Master of Engineering in Engineering Management in 2012. Her studies focused on project management, artificial intelligence, and design. Currently, Najla works at Etsy as a Software Engineering Manager.
Najla is a supporter of professional networking and our mentoring program within our community. We are very excited to feature her as our professional in this month’s “Meet the Professional” series.
Below are a few questions to help facilitate this interactive connection. At the end of the page you will have an opportunity to post your own questions for Najla.
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Describe your current Occupation & Degree/s and Universities.
- Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science from Cornell University
- Master of Engineering in Engineering Management from Cornell University
Discuss a moment or turning point in your life that led you to your career path:
I was always fascinated with computers, and from a young age I found myself constantly messing around with them. When I was thirteen, I didn’t have a great experience at my high school, so I wanted to find an excuse to transfer to another school where I had more friends. Serendipitously, I came across a computer science program at that school and applied. When I started attending the program that fall, I was introduced to several programming languages, introductory algorithms, and discrete mathematics. Computer science quickly became my favorite class, and I was so hooked that I continued studying it as a college student.
Discuss a role model or mentor who influenced your career choice:
Before starting at Etsy a few months ago, I worked at a “grown-up” startup in the financial tech space. It was my first job out of college and I reported directly to the CTO, who would go on to be a huge influence in the path I took. I started out as a Product Manager at that job and came out an Engineering Manager, which was possible with his consistent mentorship. Rather than just telling me how to do things, he always coached me into figuring them out for myself. He also took the time to hear my point of view on a lot of matters and showed me that a leader is strategically flexible. The respect I was given early in my career empowered me to take risks, assume ownership over projects, and seek challenging opportunities.
Do you recall any specific challenges you encountered and overcame?
A minority in any field will tell how you constantly have to prove yourself and fight for your space. There are so many times where I’ve been the only woman in the room with others talking over me or ignoring me simply because of my gender.
It was a mental barrier for me to really understand instances of inequality. I used metrics to track the differences between my peers and me in order to tell myself the correct narrative. Numbers don’t lie and they are a useful tool to get your point across to others. Doing this made me realize that I needed to persistently push back on others to make equal room for myself. I’ve worked with several mentors over the years that have been great at advocating for me and teaching me how to do it for myself.
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Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?
I always jokingly say that I want to retire by 35, but realistically I have no idea where I’ll be. I could see myself going in many directions, like doing more consulting-like work, switching to a different field entirely, or opening a coffee shop.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in your field?
If I could go back and advise my younger self, I would let myself know that it’s so okay and important to take your time. I entered a position of management very early in my career, and I’m working backwards to fill in some of the technical gaps that I missed out on by not coding for long enough in the industry.
Take the time to really question and understand the nitty gritty in programming languages and algorithm design. The knowledge you gain is so additive that it’s a shame to miss out on every opportunity to learn. In software engineering, we are rarely solving problems that are actually brand new, so it’s important to build up technical acumen in the context of your experience or to ask others about their own experiences.
Tell us a little bit about your hobbies outside of your field:
I travel a lot, mostly in hopes of chasing the sun. When at home in New York, I participate in impromptu dance offs, gardening, and eating my way through the city.
A Q&A form will be uploaded shortly. In the meantime feel free to send any questions you would like to ask Ms. Najla Elmachtoub to admin@network1017.com
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